The Kai Tiger
by TheRavenAndTheMouse
Summary: Masamune always had vivid, wild dreams, ever since he was little. Lately they have been getting more and more fantastic, and find themselves revolving around a certain, ponytailed pest. His resolve is starting to slip, and keeping everything under control is getting harder than ever.
1. Prologue

**The Kai Tiger**

* * *

**Summary:** Masamune always had vivid, wild dreams, ever since he was little. Lately they have been getting more and more fantastic, and find themselves revolving around a certain, ponytailed pest. His resolve is starting to slip, and keeping everything under control is getting harder than ever.

**Rating: **M for sexual themes and strong language

**In This Chapter: **Masamune tries to prepare for his paper for history class, and reveals his true feelings about the Takeda ward.

**Pairings: **Masamune/Yukimura, one-sided Sasuke/Yukimura, Motochika/Motonari

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

Masamune had a hard time focusing on anything besides that damn best. Sasuke Sarutobi, the number one thorn in his side. Fuck, not even Kenshin with this huge ass paper he forced onto his class could compare with how much Masamune just could not stand the witty brunette. The kid was a fucking ninja; he could appear out of thin air and scare you half to death. Not to mention that Sanada was almost always at his side. Masamune didn't mind Yukimura - he actually liked the kid, though he definitely needed to relax from time to time -, but there was only so much of the leading stars of the soccer team he could handle. Of course they had to get along with Keiji though, and get dragged into their misfit group of outcasts.

Sanada and Sarutobi were anything but outcasts though. It was incredible that Sasuke even tolerated being around the group, though it was probably just to keep Yukimura out of trouble. There was no way Yukimura would leave now that he was close with Motochika and Keiji. His relationship with the naive brunette... well, that was just a work in progress as far as Masamune was concerned. It was not his fault Yukimura was hilarious to harass.

"So Yukimura, are you ready for the big game?" Sasuke had his arm draped over the shoulders of the other Takeda ward, (oh yeah, on top of being soccer stars of the university, the sports director was their caretaker! Un-fucking-believable) leaning onto him with a grin. The brilliant grin Yukimura gave in response was the brightest Masamune had ever _seen_, and _damn_ did it _piss him off_. The part that fucked with the young Date the most though was that Sasuke clearly had a thing for the other brunette and Yukimura had no idea. Absolutely not a_ clue_.

"Oh yeah, it's the game right before the playoffs or whatever the hell they're called right?" Motochika gave a grin as he leaned back in his chair. This little cafe was usually pretty empty right after the university got out for the day, which was something that never ceased to baffle Masamune.

"Yeah, and I will definitely not let my team down!" Masamune snorted without thinking about it, letting a shit-eating grin crawl up his face when Yukimura glared his way.

"Dude, I've been goalie for you to help you practice before. The other team should fear for their_ lives_. I mean for fuck's sake Sanada, you could probably kill someone with that kick of yours," the raven teased, amused as Yukimura huffed and turned his head away, color lightly dusting his cheeks.

"I don't doubt that," Keiji managed to get out between his fits of laughter, Motochika joining in. Sasuke gave Masamune that look, trying to play it off and look at Keiji when the purple haired idiot started to talk again.

"Do... Do you guys remember when that creep Mitsuhide tried hitting on Yukimura? The bastard left with a broken nose and a couple cracked ribs," Keiji grinned. Masamune did remember that, actually. He almost went to break Mitsuhide's jaw the next time he saw the fucker. Well, he would have at least have had an excuse to pummel the guy besides disliking him for simply existing.

Masamune felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, letting out a slight sigh. They had been out of class only for a short time, but he knew that damn alarm meant time to go research for this damn paper Kenshin assigned.

"Oi, I'm heading off to library to try and get started on this fucking essay Kenshin assigned." Masamune slung his bag over his shoulder as he stood. All eyes flickered up to him curiously.

"Dude, the history paper was assigned like, yesterday." Motochika was absolutely _fascinated_ by the initiative the other one-eyed man was showing.

"Yeah but Nohime will have me by the balls if I'm late with another assignment and stuck in her office until the headmaster will see me. Then again, that sounds a lot more entertaining than researching right now," Masamune sneered, the Takeda wards making faces of disgust while the other two were laughing their heads off.

"You have fun with that Masamune; I'll make sure Kojuro gets started on your funeral preparations!"

"Shut the hell up Maeda."

* * *

Masamune stared at the little sketch before him, letting out a sigh. What he wouldn't give for a fucking coffee right now, or something that would help him concentrate. He'd been at this for already about two and a half hours, and he was wearing thin. He looked at the sketch absentmindedly.

Masamune would never consider himself a talented artist, definitely not enough to try and live off of it. He knew he talent though, he just preferred it to be a talent only he and Kojuro knew about. The neck and chest of a male figure had taken form on a paper that should have been notes, the head and hair just a rough outline. Whether he got back to this doodle or abandoned it was a decision for another time, but no way in hell was he going to let anyone see this. Not when it was incredibly obvious who had taken form across his paper._ Just can't stop drawing him_.

"Hnn." Masamune let out a sigh, rubbing his temple. Maybe if he walked around a little he could focus once he had gotten back to work... That thought was abandoned as soon as he heard the voices of children running around some of the bookshelves towards the front of the library. He was perfectly fine just sitting in his back corner and doodling for a little while longer.

This drawing he was definitely going to stash in his sketchbook later. He had drawings of all of his friends, he'd even doodled Sasuke a couple times to try something different, but Yukimura was definitely his favorite to practice drawing. His figure was just so easy to memorize and trying to capture his expressions was a challenge Masamune found incredibly intriguing.

_God if Sarutobi could only see inside my head_. The thought brought a chuckle out of Masamune. Sasuke would definitely try to kill him if he ever found out the kinds of thoughts the one-eyed man had been harboring for quite some time now. He was lucky that Sasuke was only suspicious, and that Yukimura never caught on. Hell, not even Kojuro knew the truth, and Masamune had practically grown up with the guy watching out for him. No, it was just better that no one caught on and he could just move on and try and get the brat out of his head. It was better that this thing never evolve any further than it already had.

Masamune let his head rest on the table, sighing a little. Man, he was really fucked with this. He fought to keep his eye open, but eventually the strain was too much and he drifted asleep.

* * *

_**~ Author's Note ~**_

DateSana is probably one of my biggest obsessions at the moment, so writing this fic was inevitable. It's a college AU! with Masamune's dreams a whole different story, so I think this might be interesting for some fans of the pairing.

Neko!Yukimura makes an appearance in the next chapter, so I hope you'll enjoy!


	2. Chapter 1

**The Kai Tiger**

* * *

**Summary:** Masamune always had vivid, wild dreams, ever since he was little. Lately they have been getting more and more fantastic, and find themselves revolving around a certain, ponytailed pest. His resolve is starting to slip, and keeping everything under control is getting harder than ever.

**Rating: **M for sexual themes and strong language

**In This Chapter: **Masamune has a rather interesting dream, with Yukimura in a rather... different situation.

**Pairings: **Masamune/Yukimura, one-sided Sasuke/Yukimura, Motochika/Motonari

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Masamune knew he was dreaming as soon as he couldn't feel the table under his cheek anymore. Falling asleep while trying to study wasn't the best thing to do, but the past few days of nightmares meant little to no sleep. Maybe he would get lucky this time and not wake up in a cold sweat.

Wherever he was, he was comfortable. It felt like he was outside somewhere; he could feel sunlight on his face, and hear a breeze rustling trees around him. Being such a lucid dreamer, Masamune knew he could do absolutely anything he wanted in his dreams, but letting a story play out in front of him was one of the most interesting feelings in the world. A dream playing out by itself was incredible; the human subconscious was really fascinating, even though Masamune wasn't an expert on the subject.

The warmth of the sunlight was blocked by something, and Masamune could feel a presence looming over him. Something heavy was on top of him, but Masamune had a feeling he knew what it was before he opened his eye. Wide, dark brown eyes were studying him, and flinched backwards when Masamune looked back. _Yeah, definitely dreaming_.

This was apparently going to be a dream he had total control over, judging by the Yukimura sitting on his hips. Masamune could only look at him, raising an eyebrow when he noticed the extra... features of the brunette.

"...Tiger ears?" Yukimura jumped back when Masamune spoke, two small ears poking out from the mess of brown hair on his head. A long, striped tail was fluffed out at being startled. Yukimura let out a hiss, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Don't scare me like that Masamune-dono! I almost thought you were dead you were sleeping so soundly!" Yukimura seemed more flustered than anything, tail twitching rapidly in annoyance. Masamune sat up, looking down at himself.

The attire reminded him a bit of what the samurai from the Sengoku era wore; the long blue jacket with white trim, but the black dress shirt underneath was definitely a modern thing. Yukimura was dressed... well, he couldn't really think of an accurate word at the moment.

The brunette was dressed in white pants and a red jacket, no shirt underneath. The pants had a flame pattern from the knees up, and red wrappings that looked like ribbon or bandages around his feet and up to his knees. He was shirtless underneath his jacket, sort of like how the actual Yukimura dressed after a soccer practice or game. The tiger ears and tail were something entirely knew from all the other dreams Yukimura had appeared in though.

"What are you supposed to be, exactly?" Masamune stopped his ogling to give a questioning look at the brunette, who crossed his arms with a glare, tail giving a large swish to his left.

"You don't even know in your own dream? A Kai Tiger of course!" Kai Tiger... Masamune remembered in his research that the warriors of Kai were often called tigers... Just like Oshu was known for their "dragons". What did that make Masamune then? A dragon?

"One more question Yuki," Yukimura flushed and raised an eyebrow, "where are we, exactly?"

"In Oshu, almost to the Kai border. I'm glad I found you, the Right Eye of the Dragon is probably searching for you right now..." Right Eye of the Dragon? That didn't sound promising.

"If you're coming to Kai with me, we really better get moving. There's no telling when he'll..." Yukimura didn't finish his sentence, ears perked off towards some distant sound, eyes snapping skyward. He went rigid, tail fluffed out again. Cats did that when they were scared... Masamune tried to rise to his feet. Why the hell was Yukimura freaking out?

Masamune didn't get a proper response; instead he felt his back collide with the ground, Yukimura on top of his again with his hand pressed against Masamune's mouth. He was still scanning the sky, eyes tracing some sort of pattern. Masamune glanced in that direction, his breath catching in his throat.

There was no mistaking that large, serpentine shape, even though it was far away and moving quickly. The black shape was travelling in some sort of pattern, like it was looking for something. Yukimura didn't move again until it vanished, his ears dropping and a sigh of relief escaping him.

"A dragon... Is that the Right Eye?" Yukimura looked at Masamune with a frown.

"You don't recognize your second in command?" Masamune was going to respond but the... tiger just shook his head.

"Never mind, we just need to get moving. He could be back anytime soon." Yukimura didn't seem like he was going to move anytime soon though, so Masamune spoke up again.

"But why was he looking for me?" Yukimura looked down at Masamune, lips pursed in thought. He brushed the raven's hair away from his face, fingers trailing carefully over his eye patch.

"Because the Dokuganryu isn't supposed to be with me." Masamune let his good eye drift shut; the tiger's touch was making him sleepy again.

"A dokuganryu, huh Yukimura?"

* * *

Masamune opened his eye again slowly, after not receiving a response. A hand was hovering in front of his face. An instinct more than a reaction, Masamune grabbed the arm and tugged downwards, jerking a rather startled Yukimura into his lap. Neither dared to move, looking at each other in surprise.

"...Sanada? What the hell are you doing here?" Masamune frowned. His friends should have known it was going to take him a while to study; he'd only had a short nap after all, so he should have been gone for what, three hours maybe?

"Katakura-san told me to come find you, since no one else was available. You've been gone for over four hours now, and he figured it was time for you to go back to the apartment." Yukimura raised an eyebrow at Masamune, a smile forming on the edges of his mouth. "You have a little drool there Masamune-dono." Masamune huffed and rubbed around his mouth with his sleeve.

"I guess not sleeping great has finally caught up with me. Sorry, he didn't interrupt anything important did he?" Masamune fought back a yawn but it escaped anyways. Yukimura made a face before he shrugged.

"Not really. He was concerned you were going to miss dinner and I was in the area. I'm sorry that I woke you if you haven't been sleeping well," he added sheepishly, glancing away for a moment before he looked at Masamune again. "You said my name, so I thought you were awake."

Masamune tensed a little. He hadn't sleep-talked in a very long time. Or at least no one had heard him. Yukimura better not have heard him say something stupid...

"I did huh? Did I say anything else?" Yukimura shook his head, Masamune relaxing slightly.

"If you did, I didn't hear anything. What were you dreaming about?" Yukimura cocked his head to the side curiously, his ponytail falling over his shoulder. It was rather remarkable that he hadn't shoved Masamune away from him yet, considering he was still in the older man's lap.

"It was a pretty short dream, so I don't really know what was going on," he admitted, pausing for a second. A wolfish grin crawled onto his face, and he gripped Yukimura's waist tighter. "The cat ears were pretty hot though, I could get into that," he said with a wink.

Yukimura did shove Masamune at that, practically out of his chair. His face as red as that dumb sports jacket he loved so much.

"Y-You really have no shame!" Masamune would probably be in pain if he wasn't laughing so damn hard.

"No, not at all. I'll get my stuff, you can go back to whatever you were doing Sanada." Masamune was still chuckling a little, taking Yukimura's hand when the brunette offered to help him up. He was already helping gather Masamune's papers, and Masamune didn't comment. He just gathered up his books, stuffing his folders into his bag and picking out which books he was actually going to check out.

Yukimura had paused in what he was doing, staring in surprise down at the paper in his hands. Masamune knew which one it was, letting out a little groan of defeat. Maybe he should have put those sketches away first. Yukimura handed them over without a word, leaning against the table and waiting for Masamune to finish putting everything in his bag.

"Uh, Masamune-dono..." Yukimura looked like he wanted to ask something, but shook his head with a smile when they made eye contact.

"No, never mind. It's not important." Masamune gave a blank stare to the brunette.

"Just say it Sanada; I'm not ready to go home yet and be lectured by Kojuro for being late." Yukimura hesitated, but eventually gave up with a sigh.

"I was wondering if you were going to be able to make it to my game on Saturday." Oh right, the big game that would decide whether they could advance into the province championship. It was a big deciding factor for Yukimura and the whole university.

"Eh, I think I'm just going to stay home and watch shitty samurai movies with Chosokabe instead of studying. Can't stand those sports groupies," Masamune added with a shudder. A grin started crawling up his face as Yukimura's expression fell, and eventually he caught on. The brunette gave Masamune a hard shove, his face red again.

"You really are a dokuganryu!" Masamune laughed and ruffled the brown mess on top of Yukimura's head.

"I'll be there, don't worry. Motochika and Keiji would never let me out of it anyways. They want to throw a huge party for when you win, and I do mean _when_. So long as Chika doesn't spike the punch like last time it'll be awesome. Fun regardless, but I'd rather not deal with a drunken Sasuke again." Yukimura laughed, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, Kasuga would be thankful for that as well. I won't keep you any longer though." Yukimura turned to leave, but Masamune grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Yuki." Yukimura glanced at him, cheeks turning slightly pink again at the nickname. Masamune gave a soft grin. "**Good luck**."

Yukimura pulled his arm back, still blushing as he gave a soft smile. "You really are a dokuganryu."

Masamune stayed in place for a while after Yukimura left, that smile, that expression _burned_ into his mind. He was going to suffer in the lowest circle of hell for the thoughts circulating around his head right now.

"**Fuck**."

* * *

_**~ Author's Note ~**_

**7/24/2013**

If you couldn't tell already, when Masamune speaks in English it will be bolded.

Two chapters in one day woohoo! I might eve be able to post a third if I'm lucky, but no promises since I'm supposed to be working on a paper for summer school. One day left though!

I think I'm really going to enjoy this story and hopefully I will be able to update things a lot more quickly now that summer school is almost done. No promises though.


	3. Chapter 2

**The Kai Tiger**

* * *

**Summary:** Masamune always had vivid, wild dreams, ever since he was little. Lately they have been getting more and more fantastic, and find themselves revolving around a certain, ponytailed pest. His resolve is starting to slip, and keeping everything under control is getting harder than ever.

**Rating: **M for sexual themes and strong language

**In This Chapter: **Yukimura is hanging out at the Katakura-Date-Maeda-Chosokabe house, and Masamune might have crossed a line he never wanted to.

**Pairings: **Masamune/Yukimura, one-sided Sasuke/Yukimura, Motochika/Motonari

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you guys seriously have the hots for each other." Keiji was grinning like the idiot he was, the quarreling pair on the floor snapping their heads to stare at him. Masamune and Yukimura had been arguing for about half an hour over whether or not Kasuga would actually try and hook up with Kenshin before the older of the two pounced and started an impromptu wrestling match. With the coffee table shoved away from its normal position between the large couch and love seat, there was plenty of room. Kojuro was in the kitchen preparing dinner, Motochika lounging on the large sofa and Keiji curled up in the love seat. It was highly amusing to see the dragon and the tiger try and fight like that, laughing so hard the whole time they can barely look at each other.

Masamune was the first who took the opportunity to make a joke, of course.

"Well who would blame Sanada? The dokuganryu is quite the catch." Masamune still had the brunette pinned, a smirk in place when Yukimura turned red. The smug look was gone when he was shoved hard onto the floor.

"It's not my fault Masamune-dono can't keep his hands to himself," Yukimura huffed, crossing his arms and tossing his head. The other three in the main room were silent before erupting with laughter. Even Kojuro looked out from the kitchen area to make sure he had heard right.

"Holy crap, never thought I'd hear Yukimura attempt a joke like that," Motochika barely managed to get out between fits of almost hysterical laughter. Keiji wasn't faring any better, and Masamune slapped Yukimura on the shoulder playfully.

"**All right**! We're finally starting to rub off on you! Oh man, Sarutobi is going to_ murder_ me," Masamune laughed, a wide grin in place. "Just another reason for him to hate me I guess." Yukimura looked at Masamune in surprise.

"What do you mean?" Masamune hesitated, avoiding looking at Yukimura before he spilled everything like an idiot. That would not be cool. Okay, so just give him a half-truth. Keiji and Motochika don't need another reason to harass him, and he does _not_ need another lecture from Kojuro.

"Eh I think Sasuke dislikes me personally because he thinks I'm a bad influence. If he dislikes me for any other reason, I can't think of anything off of the top of my head," he shrugged, trying to ignore the look Keiji was giving him now that he was sort of leaning against Yukimura. The brunette didn't seem to care, so Keiji could go fuck himself.

"And yet he doesn't have to worry about the lecherous Keiji?" Motochika laughed harder when Keiji flipped him off.

"Shut the hell up Chosokabe. Masamune is definitely a worse influence than I am. Though you're maybe as bad as he is!"

"Oi, I'm right here Maeda," Masamune growled, glancing at Yukimura. The brunette was trying hard not to laugh, but his shoulder were shaking from the effort.

"Maeda I swear I'm gonna -" Motochika never finished his sentence; his cell phone went off and his whole face lit up. Masamune and Keiji sent each other knowing grins as Motochika left the room to take his call. Yukimura craned his neck over his shoulder, confused by the sudden disappearance of the white-haired man.

"That date must have gone well if Motonari is calling him up so fast." Masamune snorted in agreement.

"The tension between those two was ridiculous; thank God Chika finally grew a pair and asked the prick out." Masamune looked at Yukimura, the brunette seemingly surprised at the conversation.

"Wait, Motochika-san and Motonari-dono are..."

"Yeah, never would have seen that coming huh?"

Motochika appeared again after a while, dropping down onto the couch with a huge grin. Yukimura had remained seated on the floor with his back against the black leather sofa, Keiji with his legs dangling over one end of the matching black love seat. Masamune simply was stretched out on the floor, facing the other three and his back to the kitchen.

"So, score a second date or what?" Masamune flashed a grin up at the other eye-patch wearing adult, getting a brilliant smile in return.

"Yeah, next week. I'm going to his place and everything." Masamune let out a low whistle, sitting up.

"Never thought you guys would get along _that_ well," the raven snickered. "It's quite the transformation." Motochika let out a thoughtful hum, studying Masamune for a second.

"Yeah, I definitely wouldn't have expected this happening. What next, you and Sanada hooking up?" Motochika gave a teasing grin to the dragon, who immediately locked eyes with Yukimura. The brunette frowned, raising an eyebrow at the question. Masamune smirked a little at that, but the grip on his knees tightened to the point it almost hurt.

"I... don't really see that happening," Yukimura admitted. Masamune let out a bemused chuckle, grinning when Yukimura looked his way.

"I dunno Yuki, I could probably change your mind." Yukimura looked at him in surprise and Masamune just couldn't help himself. With a predatory grin he pounced, trapping the brunette's head between his hands and hovering over him. Yukimura just stared up at him, cheeks getting progressively redder as Masamune made no motion that he was going to move, or do anything else. Masamune fell to the side and rolled onto his back, laughing hard.

"Holy hell Sanada, you looked like I was going to eat you or something!" Masamune tried desperately to control his laughter and his heart hammering in his chest. Sanada stood up abruptly, face even redder.

"What should I expected from the dokuganryu?" Yukimura hissed, heading towards the door. He slipped on his shoes and grabbed his school bag, Masamune sitting up immediately.

"Wait, Yuki-" Yukimura shut the door behind him before Masamune could finish speaking, the dragon staring at the door in disbelieve. A groan escaped him when the weight of what he had done sunk in, falling back against the floor again.

"**Damn**, I really fucked that up." Masamune gave a rueful smile to the ceiling. Of all the things he hadn't wanted to do, scarring Yukimura off like that was pretty high up on his list.

"Dude, you actually like him..." Motochika seemed a little guilty for bringing it up in the first place, and rather stupid for not having guessed his friend's feelings before hand. Masamune sighed and sat up.

"Can't get the brat out of my head. It's fucking pathetic." Keiji had wisely chosen to stay silent, getting up and heading into the kitchen when Kojuro announced food was done. The oldest of the household stayed in the entryway to the kitchen, Motochika getting the hint to join Keiji and let the two long time friends talk.

"Were you planning on telling me about this?" Kojuro joined Masamune on the floor, only concerned for Masamune - he had been doing that for as long as the raven could remember. Masamune only snorted at the question.

"So you can give me "the look" whenever he's nearby? No thanks Kojuro. I thought it wasn't going to be a problem but _fuck_, he's just..." Masamune raised his hands up as if to prove his point, dropping them back to his side with a sigh. He rubbed his face with one hand before letting out a defeated chuckle, rising to his feet.

"Well, it's just better if he doesn't find out. I don't want things to get any worse between us, and I have a feeling admitting I have any sort of romantic feelings for him would crossing one hell of a line." Masamune didn't wait for a response, heading towards his room. He knew Keiji and Motochika had been eavesdropping, but he hesitated by the kitchen entrance.

"I think I'm just going to call it a day. Food smells awesome though." He headed down the short hall to his room, stripping out of his shirt and into sweatpants. Sleep sounded like exactly what he needed.

* * *

Masamune knew he had finally started dreaming when he felt the form of another person curled against him. It was a feeling he hadn't known for quite a while, and not just because Yukimura had started to become a problem. He wrapped his arms tighter around the figure close to him, his nose nesting in soft, messy hair that tickled almost. He could feel a soft exhale against his chest, and arms that hugged his waist.

"Masamune-dono, we have to get moving soon." Masamune let out a light groan; fuck moving, he just wanted to hear that affectionate tone of voice say his name again. His subconscious was definitely just out to make life harder for the dragon.

"What's the rush Yuki?" The warm body squirmed out of his grasp, Masamune grunting and opening his eye. Oh... the tiger ears again...

"We made it to Kai safely but we need to get to Takeda Castle. My lord is probably wondering what has taken me so long to return..." Yukimura's ears drooped, the brunette looking rather worried. Masamune sat up, looking around them curiously.

They were in what seemed to be a thicket somewhere in the middle of a dense forest, somewhere way out of the way from any sort of civilization. It felt like they were the only two living things in the area, actually. The sky above was starting to get dark, Yukimura still faintly lit with orange from the sunset.

Masamune seriously would enjoy just sitting here and wasting time with the tiger, but his damn curiosity was overbearing.

"Alright Yuki, lead the way." He held out his hand to help the brunette up, Yukimura accepting it. He pulled the dragon behind him, going deeper into the seemingly endless forest around them.

* * *

_**~ Author's Note~**_

Wow I hate how I ended this chapter but I got it done and I'm very happy about that. Any chapter after this one will probably take longer to post because I only wrote out these first chapters. I started the next one but typing them usually results in a much more interesting chapter anyways.

My modern AU DateSana are cute hormonal idiots and I hope to get to more of them being cute later but next chapter will be all or a significant amount of Masamune's dream. After that chapter though it will probably be mostly the college AU. Again, we'll have to wait and see and I'm looking forward to your comments and reviews!


	4. Chapter 3

**The Kai Tiger**

* * *

**Summary:** Masamune always had vivid, wild dreams, ever since he was little. Lately they have been getting more and more fantastic, and find themselves revolving around a certain, ponytailed pest. His resolve is starting to slip, and keeping everything under control is getting harder than ever.

**Rating: **M for sexual themes and strong language

**In This Chapter: **Masamune's dream world unfolds before him, and hard facts are made known about the young dragon.

**Pairings: **Masamune/Yukimura, one-sided Sasuke/Yukimura, Motochika/Motonari

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"You know you look absolutely ridiculous." Masamune smirked a little as he watched Yukimura struggle to keep his balance. The tiger had his legs hooked over a tree branch, his arms dangling above his head and tail swishing to keep balance as he hung there. The tiger made a face and stuck his tongue out, ears twitching and turning at every little sound he picked up.

"You look pretty funny from where I'm hanging, Masamune-dono," the brunette added. Yukimura seemed quite comfortable just hanging there, so Masamune attempted to lift himself up into the tree and join him. He settled for just sitting on the edge of the bough however. Climbing into trees was usually difficult enough for him in the first place; he wasn't the most coordinated person on the planet, no matter how much he denied it.

"Any better?" Masamune gave a teasing grin, Yukimura struggling to crane his neck to look at the raven. Both gave wide grins at the total ridiculousness of the situation. Yukimura pulled himself back up so he was just sitting on the branch with his feet dangling down. His tail still moved to try and keep him balanced on the thinner part of the bough.

"Much better now," Yukimura said with a grin of his own. Masamune found his eyes drawn to the rokumonsen necklace hanging around the brunette's neck, his mind drifting back to his research for the paper due in Kenshin's class next month. They symbolized no fear of death, and were a part of the Sanada clan's family crest in the Sengoku era. The name "Sanada" might be just a coincidence on Yukimura's part, but the fact that the real Yukimura had one always had some meaning, or at least he thought so. It always made Masamune question everything he knew about the brunette. Did Yukimura actually believe in the same sentiment, or did he wear it just for familial significance? What was the brunette he, in reality, knew so little about, afraid of?

"Unfortunately I'm just a part of your dream. I can't give you the answers you need," Yukimura murmured, gazing down at the six coins around his neck. Masamune blinked, shaking his head with a slight smile.

"It wouldn't be as fun learning the truth from you as it would the real Sanada anyways." Yukimura's ears twitched, a soft smile gradually taking form on his lips.

"Because then it would mean Yukimura trusted you enough to tell you the truth, right?" Masamune was momentarily stunned by the absolute softness in those dumb, big brown eyes.

"Yeah. That would be part of it, at least; though you definitely feel as real as he does." Yukimura titled his head slightly to the side in that stupidly adorable way he did when he was confused.

"Do your dreams really feel so life-like? Every sensation and sound?" Yukimura scooted closer, frowning slightly. Masamune could feel his throat tighten a little, swallowing awkwardly as he tried to find his words. How to explain this to a part of your subconscious manifesting as the person he l- no, which looked like Yukimura, when he couldn't even describe it himself?

"It's... complicated. If I'm thinking about it, I can feel something as if it was real. Emotions are still the same for me, and in my dreams things usually change with them. Sometimes it's just like, the color of something or someone disappears if I get upset or angry. Though I haven't had an actual nightmare I couldn't at least somewhat control in a while." Masamune lowered himself out of the tree, holding a hand out to help Yukimura.

"No, but when you do, you're emotionally unstable whenever you even look at someone the week after the nightmare happens. You always try and play it off, but you know they haunt you more than you would ever let on." Yukimura took his hand, dropping out of the tree and frowning.

"You need someone to talk to Masamune; every part of your subconscious knows that." Yukimura gave a gentle smile, intertwining their fingers together. Masamune felt a rather regretful smile on his own face.

"I've known that for a while, but my personality is awful and I can't live with myself if I don't figure out everything by myself. Though there are probably a few people I wouldn't mind trying to open up to." Yukimura gave a knowing smile, pressing a quick kiss onto the other man's cheek. Masamune stiffened, gaping at the tiger in surprise. Even in a dream he just... wow.

"Come on, they'll be wondering what kept us so long." Yukimura took one hand back, leading the raven deeper into the trees. Oh, yeah. Takeda Castle. All of that stuff. Masamune followed Yukimura, the hand lightly squeezing his being the only thing keeping him grounded anymore.

* * *

"YUKIMURA!" A fist flying through the castle gate made contact with the brunette's chin, launching him back several yards. Masamune could only stare in disbelief as the brunette struggled to his feet after colliding rather hard with one of the large trees surrounding the castle walls. Takeda Shingen in all his glory stood there, arms now crossed and a wide grin on his face. Yukimura dashed up, a wide grin of his own as he knelt before his caretaker.

"My lord! I apologize for our late arrival!" Sasuke had joined the three at the front of the castle now, sporting a rather amused smirk at the antics that were apparently normal between the other two of the Takeda household. Masamune wouldn't be surprised; Yukimura could take a hit and Shingen definitely was fond of a "tough love" method for his students, there was no reason it couldn't apply to his wards.

"Ah, the young dragon managed to come after all." Masamune almost jumped when he noticed that all three were looking at him now, with varying expressions. Yukimura was smiling like the idiot he was, Takeda sporting a rather amused look while Sasuke seemed to be questioning whether or not it would be entertaining to attack the dragon here and now. The last one wasn't surprising in the least. Sasuke was overprotective to a fault, no matter how laid back he seemed to be most of the time. While Masamune was pretty sure the brunette didn't hate him as much as he used to, they definitely weren't friends.

"Yeah, we just took our time getting here." Yukimura rose to his feet, bouncing to the dragon's side with that bright smile of his. Masamune gave a slight grin back, but it faded when he glanced over at Shingen and Sasuke. Both looked a little... unsure.

"I hope you two weren't very... distracted." The obvious dislike rolling off the brunette's tongue made Masamune incredibly uncomfortable. Yukimura laced their fingers together again, slightly leaning on the dragon.

"Oh? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." There was no way Masamune could control his grin, Shingen letting out a laugh while Sasuke made a face of either disappointment or disgust. Either way Masamune didn't care.

"Well, come on Danna, we have to get you ready." Yukimura made a confused face before his eyes lit up.

"Oh! I apologize Masamune-dono, I'll be back soon!" Sasuke led Yukimura into the castle, leaving Masamune and Shingen at the gates.

"Well, everyone else was waiting for you two to arrive, so we should join the others." Masamune didn't get a chance to reply as Shingen entered the castle grounds, the dragon sighing and following suit. What others?

The main courtyard was bustling with activity, faceless servants making a ring for what seemed like some sort of performance. There was one long table with a large throne that would be most likely occupied by Shingen. The other seats along the table were all filled besides one to the left of Shingen's throne. Don't me I'm supposed to sit there, Masamune groaned, letting his eye roll skyward. He shut his eye briefly, letting his gaze travel to the others sitting at the table.

Kenshin was to the right of the main throne, with Kasuga right at his side, no surprise there. Next to her was Keiji, who was grinning and flirting with some servant woman Masamune couldn't quite define. Next to where he would sit were Motochika and Motonari on his left. The two were deep in conversation, though it seemed to be Motochika who was doing most of the talking. Again, not much of a surprise for the dragon. There weren't any other seats though, so where would Sasuke and Yukimura stay?

"Come my boy, sit down and enjoy yourself! The night is still long and there is much in store," Shingen said with a grin, leading the dragon to his seat. Masamune followed without protesting; it wouldn't do much for him to resist, it's not like anything here would actually endanger him. Not that he could tell at least.

"What exactly are we supposed to be waiting for," Masamune asked as he took his seat, frowning at Shingen. He turned his gaze back to the courtyard, immediately tensing in his seat. Motochika leaned over with a wolfish grin.

"We're in for quite a show, huh Masamune~?" Masamune could only give him a glance of mild annoyance, barely that, his gaze torn right back to where the two Takeda wards were standing in the clearing. Sasuke stood in some all black getup, pretty much skin tight. He had green paint over his face, three streaks that accented his grin. Yukimura had switched his jacket for a red vest, but the white pants with the flames and wrappings were still there. He was now donning a headband with long tails, each of the two holding a giant, red three pronged spear towards the other.

"Are they going to fight?" Masamune could only stare at the pair of them, only glancing at Shingen to see if he acknowledged the question. Shingen was only grinning slightly.

"You'll see. Just be patient young dragon; the show is about to begin."

* * *

_**~Author's Note~**_

I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE. HERE TAKE THIS LONGISH CHAPTER IN APOLOGY.

I was hoping to be able to wrap up the dream world thing here but nope, next chapter will also be about Masamune's dream. Which I am totally fine with because it is very fun for me to write, and then the chapter after that one will be from Yukimura's perspective to change things up a little!


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